


Target Practice

by NoblehouseofTargaryen (Captain_Shep)



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Blushy Alistair, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, pre romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3612186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Shep/pseuds/NoblehouseofTargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cousland hasn't practiced archery since she was 16, her mabari thinks this is hilarious. Alistair watches from afar and blushes a whole heap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Target Practice

Alistair’s eyes groggily flutter open at the sound of Elissa’s mabari chuffing in glee, then the sound of an arrow striking a target. He’d never been a morning person at all, but his ill-timed sense of curiosity got the better of him.

He pushes his way out of his tent, shrugging on his undershirt as he does, blushing when he spots her from across camp, long curls fluttering in the breeze, the colour of the sky at dawn. His eyebrows furrow at the sight of Leliana’s bow nestled between her long fingers, her nails gently thumbing the string as she purses her pink lips, narrowed eyes glaring at the target in front of her.

Barkspawn, as he’d jokingly nicknamed her mabari, lays behind her, looking on with humorous eyes as she pulls the string taught again, her shoulder and back muscles tensing and rippling beneath her thin tunic.

There’s a loud twang as she lets the arrow fly, her green eyes furious as the arrow lands with a dull ‘thunk’ into the tree. The arrow lands quivering, an inch left of the bullseye in the inner ring. His eyes light up at such a skilled shot, but Elissa groans and rakes her hand through her curls, leaning down to grasp another arrow from her quiver.

She freezes as Barkspawn lets out another chuff, sounding oddly like a laugh. Elissa spins, her eyes narrowed as she points the arrow in her hand at him, looking more than scorned as the mabari grins at her – as well as a giant war dog can grin anyways.

“You be quiet! You know I haven’t shot an arrow since I was sixteen!” She cries, her bottom lip pouting as the mabari whines and begins chuffing again, dropping his head into his paws when she growls at him.

She spins back stubbornly, ginger eyebrows drawn in concentration as she knocks her arrow again, fluidly moving to draw the bow back. She lines her sight up again, and he stands, completely enraptured at her figure in the early morning sun.

Elissa Cousland had always cut a striking figure, from the moment he’d first met her he’d been captivated by her, and slightly intimidated. Not only was she extremely beautiful, but she was headstrong, calm under pressure, one of the most skilled fighters he’d ever seen and extremely sarcastic. He’d been interested in her from the beginning, cracking a joke for him, even in the midst of soul crushing grief.

She groans, arching her back as her head falls back in annoyance. He blushes deeply, shifting slightly at thoughts of her arching under him for completely different reasons. He berates himself as Barkspawn chuffs again, earning him a growl from his mistress.

“Do you want to try it then!” She cries, whirling around to face the war dog with an exasperated look gracing her features. Barkspawn whines, rolling onto his back as he looks up at his mistress. She raises an eyebrow at his antics instantly, placing her small hands against softly rounded hips.

He blushes deeper as he thinks of his hands replacing hers, drawing her closer, rolling towards him-

He shakes his head, cutting himself off as he turns back to their exchange, his infamous stupid grin slowly working its way onto his features, as he watches the two of them face off, Elissa’s eyebrow rising higher as Barkspawn continues to whine and wriggle around in the dirt.

Finally, she lets out a groan and drops to her knees, reluctantly scratching at his stomach with her fingernails. Barkspawn lets out a whine of content, licking her arm when she moves closer. “You’re an absolute menace.” She growls, flopping to the ground so the mabari can crawl into her lap, thinking himself a small puppy.

She grunts when he jumps up on her shoulders, pushing her down to the ground and laying on top of her. “I hate you.” She groans, her arms reaching up to pull him closer. Alistair feel his grin grow wider, his cheeks blushing at just how precious she was, warming him from the inside out at her antics.

The mabari lets out a whine, and she simply laughs, nudging her nose against his. “No I don’t really you big lug.” There’s a chuff and she lets out a high lilting laugh, sending Alistair’s heart pounding furiously.

He was so lost in her it was ridiculous.


End file.
